Potter's Field
by cynful.musings
Summary: A tale of what really happened during the final battle.


Title: Potter's Field  
Author: **cynful**  
Summary: A picture says a thousand words. Written for **hppicfics**  
Disclaimer: Not my story. My evil twin sister is trying to claim the boys as hers, but she is on the loose right now, so it really isn't me. Go look for her. She is the one that really thinks she owns them…really.  
Pairings: HP/DM mentioned  
A/N: As usual, all my love and my thanks to **burningchaos** my inspiration during many times. My lovely betas must always be thanked as well **burningchaos** and **butterflymist** without you two, half of what I write would never end up posted.

WARNING: Absolutely NO fluff!

The crowd gathered around the little marker. "Such a small marker denoting something as important as the event that took place at this field, but that is all that marked the great battle between good and evil." A man began the story.

Harry Potter bravely fought against Voldemort. He succeeded in killing Voldemort once and for all.

As Voldemort fell, one figure stood up in the background with his wand pointed right at the heart of the savior. _Avada Kedavra_ was said clearly throughout the field.

A red-headed girl tried to jump in front of the savior, but she was too late. The green light encompassed the boy and he fell. He fell just as quietly and just as quickly as Voldemort.

One would have thought the battle was over with the death of the Dark Lord, but his followers bravely fought after his death. The Order finally defeated all of the Death Eaters, but sadly not without losses.

The Death Eater that took down the savior was Lucius Malfoy. He quickly stripped the mask off of his face. He wanted to make it known that _HE_ was the one that finally destroyed the enemy of his Lord. He figured that he would be fully enthroned in the place of his Lord.

He lived but a few more seconds. He turned around and faced his son who had tears streaming down his face. Lucius was uncertain for a moment. That moment was all it took for Draco Malfoy to take the life of his father. He then joined the forces of the Order and destroyed as many Death Eaters as he possibly could. His father had killed a part of him when his father killed Harry Potter. A part of Draco died on this plain that day.

It was with his help the battle did not last nearly as long as it would have. He tried to save each of Harry's friends, but he was unable to. He held Hermione as she died. She looked into his face and told him that he was forgiven. Harry wanted him to continue, she had said with a smile. Those were her last words.

He found Ron, or rather part of him. The other half was lying underneath a tree about twenty feet away. Draco had gotten sick at this sight. The girl that jumped in front of the savior died almost immediately.

The Malfoy heir wandered around the field, lost, looking at the carnage around him. Professors lay on the ground staring unblinking into the unknown. Friends from school, many wearing the black robes of the Dark Lord, were spread throughout the bloody mass.

Draco felt an arm pull him close and apparate him away from the scene. The next days were nothing more than a haze. He was heralded as a Savior, a Hero, the Boy who Defied His Father, the Boy who Ended the War.

Parades were held in his honor and in the honor of the other members of the Order. Statues were raised for the fallen heroes. None were forgotten in the aftermath. That was twenty years ago. Twenty years ago today, Harry Potter faced Lord Voldemort. He died after saving the Wizarding World from the evil lord. He had friends fall by his side defeating the rest of the dark mass. Those friends' names have faded with time. A few of the Professors have been remembered, those that bravely fought the dark, but especially one who was a spy. He died with his name clear, truly clear for the first time.

None of their actual deeds have been remembered, only that of Harry Potter and that of Draco Malfoy. The funny thing that is never mentioned in the history classes is that they were enemies from the day they met. That is forgotten, but what is remembered is that they both won the world. One died that day a hero; the other lived to learn what the hero went through his entire life.

The speaker looked sad for a moment. A girl near the front raised her hand. She was with a group of giggling girls who had laughed and talked through the whole story. "Yes, you had a question."

"What happened to Draco Malfoy?" she asked without hesitation. "All the books show him as truly handsome, but they don't mention where he is now. Do you know?"

"Draco Malfoy? Funny how it is him that you ask after," the man said with a smirk. "He is always around when he is needed, but he likes seclusion. He learned early on that he really did not like the adoration of the public, the hero worship. As soon as he could, he disappeared from the limelight to live out the rest of his life. He wasn't the real hero anyway."

"Oh, but he was. If it weren't for him, we would have Lucius Malfoy as a ruler," another girl stated.

"Yes, many believe that," the man said, "but there are those that know the truth. The members of the Order would have defeated the Death Eaters without the help of Draco Malfoy. The public just needed a new person to look up to, once Harry was dead."

"It probably doesn't matter where Malfoy is now, anyway. I'm sure he is old and gray by now. This is ancient history, Veronica," another girl told the first. They all agreed and began to walk away.

One person walked up to the speaker. He looked into the silvery, blue eyes. "Unlike the others, I know who you are, sir. I personally would like to thank you. I feel privileged to have had this lesson with you today."

"Oh, please. It is the least I can do in memory of those who have gone on," the man said quite quickly, hoping no one else recognized him. Thankfully none of the others were close.

"I don't think you realize the contribution that you did make. So, who was the girl that jumped in front of Harry Potter?" the man asked.

"Ginny Weasley. She was the sister of Ron and the rest of the Weasley clan, very close to Harry Potter."

"Hmmm, not much is mentioned about her. You would think that her name would be mentioned more, especially since she tried to save Harry Potter," he said thoughtfully.

"Yes, she tried to save him, but she was nobody to Harry Potter. They may have known each other, but the Wizarding World only cared about those closest to the Boy Who Lived. They didn't care about all the other nameless people who gave their lives in this battle."

"So, why don't you mention her name then?"

"Because then others would know I was at the battle. I would then take away from what it is we are remembering. I am not here for the glory or the fame," he said softly.

"What happens when you are no longer here?"

"When I no longer show up at this event, then someone else will take my place. Someone who knows the truth, who knows who all present were. Perhaps it will be you one day," he said thoughtfully. "I can say this, though. As long as I live I will make sure that none are forgotten. Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, Dennis Creevey, Pansy Parkinson, and all the others that gave their lives will never be forgotten."

With that, the speaker walked away from the other man. The man's gaze followed him for some time until he walked out of sight. His companion walked up to him. "What were you asking him?"

"Did you know that was Draco Malfoy?" the man asked.

"No, I never would have guessed. From what I heard about him, he would have stolen all the glory. My mom went to school with him, and she said that he was a jerk in school. I guess some people do change."

Draco walked away from the curious man. He could only take so much questioning from the people. He walked to the well-worn spot, away from the crowd. A simple headstone stood surrounded by others. He squatted down and put his hand upon it. "Harry, if they only knew you were buried here. I bet they would have your body exhumed and put on display somewhere. I don't know how you did it so long ago. I still cannot take the fame."

He sat down beside the grave and transfigured flowers all over the grave. "I still miss you. You are the only one that made me feel anything. No one else has ever compared. I still wish that it had been me that had died and you lived. Then again, you would have hated the fame and publicity. One day we will be together again."

He looked over towards the crowd that was gathered near the monument of Harry. It was the epitome of the war, the final moments of his life. Harry was standing with his wand out. If you looked close enough you could see a slight green tint around the edge of his wand. The crowd believed him to be buried near there. That was Draco's doing. He insisted that Harry be buried in a quiet location and that none know of its location. Only those that searched carefully would ever know the truth. Beside his grave was an empty place. Draco already had decided that was where he would be buried. They fought throughout their lives and this way they could fight throughout their afterlives.

A tear ran down his face and landed in the dirt. "Harry, I never told you, but I loved you. You were my other half, the half no one else knew about. Soon I will be here, soon; until then, wait patiently."

The man got up and walked away from the headstone. He looked around one last time and apparated home.


End file.
